Apparatus for applying glaze



April 30, 1940.

B. A. JEFFERY APPARATUS FOR APPLYING GLAZE' Filed May 12 1937 a She ets-Sheet 1 April B, A JEFFERY I APPARATUS FQ AR LYING GLAZE I v Filed May 12,- 1937' a Sheets-Shet 2 21-12-1 H mil 3mm QIIMMMJ E M bm/h A. Jeffery April 30, 1940. B. A. JEFFERY 99 APPARATUS FOR Arrmmeemzm 7 Filed May 12, 1937 s Shuts-Sheets 5 29 r v flay mm Ade fa Patented Apr. 30,

UNITED STATES APPARATUS son Arrumo cum nenjamin A. Jeffery,

Clarkston, Mich, assignor,

by mean assignments, to Champion Spark Plug Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware (1938) Application May 12, 1937, Serial No..142,316 Claims. (01. 91-43) This invention relates to an apparatus for applying glaze or similar coating material to spark plug cores or other forms of circular cross-section.

The purpose of the invention is to devise an 5 apparatus whereby glaze or similar coating liquids may be applied to a spark plug core or other form of circular cross-section in quantity both as to thickness and extent exactly as desired and without waste 'of the glaze.

A further object is to provide an apparatus whereby the article to be coated can be buffed or smoothed in certain sections where desired before the application of glaze to other sections, and without extra handling.

A further object is to provide means by which the surface of the object may be brushed.

Another object is to provide means whereby a 'central bore in the object may be chamfered at one end, if desired, without requiring additional 2% handling'of the object.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus by which the bufllng and aDPlication of glaze can be combined in the same apparatus without contaminating the glaze with par- 25 ticles removed from the articles in the buiiing orother operations.

Further objects and details of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part 30 'of this specification,

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly diagrammatic, disclosing one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 23s a side view, partly in section and partly 35 broken away, illustrating the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 3 is a partial-elevation of theapparatus shown in Fig. 2', showing a slightly different arrangement of pulleys;

.40 Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail showing the appli-' cation of glaze by the apparatus indicated in Fig. 2 and also showing a supplemental device not shown in Fig. 2; g a

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the glaze-applying 45 device, partly in section, viewed from the front;

Fig. 6 is a section through 'one of the cores in the bufling position,

The apparatus disclosed is mounted upon a main frame column 8 on which there is mounted .50 a bracket 9 carryinga motor II which drives the gearing in a gear operates main shaft l2 at a relatively slow speed. Ononeemiofshaft l2thereisapnlley I3,while ontheotheremlofthe shafttherearepulleys ll ll, liand I5. Apulley llisounnectedbyareducing box if and thereby suitable belt drive l8 with pulley i3 and drives a shaft H! which drives the gearing in a gear box to operate a paddle, not shown, in glaze tank 2|.

A pulley is driven by a belt, indicated diagrammatically at 26, from pulley i l on shaft l2.

Pulley 25 is fixed on shaft 21 which extends into and drives a glaze roller .28 in the glaze fountain 29. A bracket extending from the main column 8 supports a plate 3! on which the glaze tank and shaft 21 are suitably mounted. Plate 3| may be adjusted longitudinally of shaft 21, by means of screws 32 and may be adjusted vertically by.

means of screw 33, screws'32 acting as a hinge support for the plate 3|. I

A belt indicated diagrammatically at 35 connects pulley l5 with a pulley 36. on ashaft 31 which drives the gearing in a box 38 and through this gearing drives a pulley 39 which in turn drives a belt indicated diagrammatically at 40. This belt is suitably tightened by an idler wheel it, and drives a turntable 42 which carries a plurality of spindles 43. I

There is diagrammatically indicated at 44 a belt driven by pulley l6 and tightened by idler tension wheels 45 and passing around the pulleys 46 which drive the several spindles 43.

e A bell crank lever 50 is operated by a cam 5| locatedin a groove 52 on the hub 53 of turntable- 42. The lever operates a valve rod 54 which in' 'turn 1operates a valve, not shown, in glaze tank 2|, which permits glaze to flow through inlet 55 into a glaze fountain 29. The glazefountain is provided with an overflow 56 from which excess glaze flows from the fountain into an overflow A pulley 58 is mounted on shaft l9 beside pulley l1 and drives a pulley 59, connected through suitable gearing to an agitator in the overflow tank 51, by a suitable belt 59'.

As the glaze roller 28 rotates, it lifts a. film 60 of glaze from the fountain and brings it up into contact with-a baflie pin 6| mounted parallel with and in close juxtaposition to the upper surface of the glaze roller. The baille pin is arranged at the proper distance from the surface of the glaze roller so as to provide a pool 52 of glaze of exactly the height desired. In order to adjust the pin,

it is mounted in a pin holder 53 which in turn is projected from an adjusting table 64. A screw may be employed to adjust the pin holder longitudinally and screws 55 and 51 may be used to tilt the table as desired. Guards, guides or vanes 58 and 59 areprovided in close juxtapositiontothe pinsoastolimitthe widthofthe pool 52.

pressure.

In I'ig. 4, there is indicated also a supplemental glaze fountain ll having therein a glaze roller II, which may be driven by any suitable means, and a baiile pin 1! provided with guards 13. Preferably the supplemental fountain is an independent unit with its roller separately driven. but where desired the shaft 21 may be continued and roller ll mounted thereon and, if desired,

the two rollers might operate in the same fountain instead of in separate fountains. Where shaft 21 passes through the wall or the glaze fountain, a suitable sealing device or stuiiing box is provided to prevent leakage.

Where it is desired to buifthe articles as well as apply glaze thereto, bufllng apparatus may be mounted adjacent the path of the spindles before they reach the glaze fountains. In the drawings. there is shown for this purpose two strips of felt-l4 and 15 mounted in holders It (see Figs. 6, '1, and 2). The holders 16 are mounted adjustably upon a bracket l! which is in turn adjustably mounted on a support 18. The lower ends of holders 16 may be adjusted to and from the path 'ofthe spindles by means of screws "having rubber tips which provide a somewhat yielding Other adjustments of the felt strips may be made as. desired, as will be clear from the construction illustrated without further -description.

Projecting from each spindle 43 there is a pin and a socket 8| upon which there may be mounted a spark plug core 82 or similar device which is to be coated. In the form of plug shown, a shoulder 82A is provided for mounting in a shell in a well known manner. The two sides of the shoulder 83 and 84 are contacted by the felts I4 and li respectively, so that they are brushed smooth during their movement. past these felts. 'Ihis smooths the sides of the shoulder which contact the packing rings by which the shoulder is mounted in' theshell. In the form illustrated, there is shown a fan It, operated by motor 10, which may be'connected in any suitable manner to a shielding guard 81 which is mounted in position to catch any airsuspended dust released by the operation of bufling felts I4 and I5 and avoid contamination of the glaze fountain by such dust. The fan also draws'away any objectionable vapor from the glaze-suspending medium.

In the form of apparatus illustrated, turntable 42 is attached by bolts to its hub 53,

which is in the form of a sleeve rotating about a fixed shaft 9|. If desired; a holder 92/ for a brush 93 may be attached to shaft Si in position to hold the brush in contact with the cores and brush any loose particles therefrom while they are being buffed. If desired, holder 92 may be formed, as shown in Fig. 2, with flanges 94, so as to form a pan to catch anything that might accidentally drop from the upper portion of'the turntable.

Sockets 8| are preferably of rubber or sirnilar material which yieldingly and frictionally engages the cores when they are positioned on pins 80. 1; cutting member 95 may be mounted on each spindle 43 parallel with pin 8 0, and with its end so disposed as to chamfer the end of the 91' to "provide clearancetar cuttingscaused by v v Y and viscosity of the applied liquid; 75 It will be readily understood that theoperator e baiile pin/ GI has'been shown ascylinthe chamfering operation.

placesthecoresuponglnsllandholdsthem tmomentarlly against rotation to eifect the chamfering,astheyapproachthebuifers. After the core is released by the operator, the frictional engagement of the socket. especially the thin, stretched edge IO, insures the rotation of the core asitmovesbetweenthebuflingorsmoothingpads and the brush, whereby it isjsmoothed and cleaned. It will be readily understood that the pads and brush or brushes may be arranged in any desired way to effect the desired brushing and smoothing of the surface of the core while it is passing towards the glazing tank.

After being buffed, cores are carried down to a position such as that shown in Figs. land 5, where theunder surface is contacted by glaze pool '2 and a similar-pool which is banked up against pin 12. Byvadjustment of thepins and guards, the width of the pool can be adjusted so that as wide a stripe as desired will .be' applied to the core. Also, the height of the pins above the-surfaces of therollers 28 and H may be adjusted independentlyso as to control accurate- ,ly the depth' of the pool and thereby the thickness of glaze which is applied to the rotatingcore.

- In this way the surface II o the core between guards 68 and has applied ereto the desired amount of liquid glaze. At the same time, if

desired, a supplemental belt .of glaze can beapplied -at It by the supplemental tank. It will be readily understood that the arrangement of these rollers and guards is merely illustrative of the application of glaze to one particular form of spark/plug core and that various changes may be made in the number and arrangement of the glaze rollers and heme pins and guards to apply strips of glaze as desired to diiferent forms of circular cross-section which may be carried upon the several spindles.

After the glaze has been applied, the continued rotation of turntable 42 carries the cores on upward and the glaze is allowed to dry during the continued rotation of the core for the desired length of time, and the core may be removed in time to supply the spindle with an untreated core before the buiilngstrlps' are again reached. It will be readily understood that from time to the direction of movement of the surface of roller 28. It will be readily'apparent that the movement of the pin to a point somewhat to the left of the center of the roller, as viewed in Fig. 5, renders it more easy to bank up the coating liquid than would a position farther to the right. By adjustment in this way, it is possible to regulate to some extent the width of the pool in the direction of movement 'of the roller. The height -of the pool, of course, may be governed to some extent by the vertical adjustment of the pin. By these two adjustments, the shape. and size of the pool can be controlled within the necessary limits. The viscosity of the glaze suspended liquid also affects the height and width of the pool,

. and the thickness of the coating of glaze applied to the core is affected by the combined effects of the height of the pool, its width in the direction .of movement of the core, and the specific gravity 'to-time the-excess glaze in tank I! may be drical, it will be understood that its contour may be modified when found desirable. Cutting away any portion of the underside of the pin obviously allows freer passage of the glaze therebeneath and lessens, or removes, its bafliing ef-. fect at that point.

While the illustrated arrangement of the driving mechanism, etc., has proved convenient and effective in actual operation, it will be readily understood that various changes may be made in the apparatus, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the appended claims the term bufiing is employed in a broad sense to cover any brushing or smoothing operation to improve the surface by removing loose particles and/or smoothing.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a carrier, spindles mounted upon the carrier and each adapted to support and rotate a ceramic article, a glaze fountain beneath the path in which the ceramic articles are moved by the carrier, a rollerin the fountain having its upper surface spaced below the path of said articles and above the normal surface of the liquid in the fountain, means to rotate the roller and carry a fllm of glaze on the surface thereof, and a baflle located in the path of the film and beneath the ceramic articles in position to bank up the film and form a pool that contacts the ceramic articles when in position over the roller in .the fountain.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and having guards cooperating with the baflle and limiting the width of the pool.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and comprising means for adjusting the baille with respect to the roller.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1' and wherein the baflle is in the form of a cylindrical pin with its axis substantially parallel with that of the roller.

5. In coating apparatus a receptacle for coating liquid, a roller in the receptacle with its upper surface above the normal level of the liquid, means to rotate the roller, a stationary bafile consisting of a cylindrical. pin having its axis above and substantially parallel with that of the roller,

and means for adjusting the pin with respect to the surface of the roller both in the direction of the movement of that surface and to and from 25 that surface. BENJAMIN A. JEFFERY. 

